crandall



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheeb 1.

J. A. CRANDALL.

CONVERTIBLE INVALID CHAIR.

No. 597,878. Patented Jan. 25, 1898.

' (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. A. GRANDALL. GONVERTIBLE INVALID CHAIR.

v Patented Jan, 25, 1898 (N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3.

J. A. GRANDALL. CONVERTIBLE INVALID CHAIR.

No. 597,878. Patented Jan. 25, 1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT tries.

JESSE A. ORANDALL, OF BROOKLYN, NEXV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TiVO-THIRDS TO CALVIN E. HULL AND FRANK E. OALDVV'ELL, OF SAME PLACE.

CONVERTIBLE INVALID=CHAIR.

SPEOZFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,8'78, dated January 25, 1898.

Application filed May 11, 1897- Serial No. 636,090. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, JESSE A. CRANDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooln lyn, in the county of Kings andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin' Convertible Invalid Chairs and Cots, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings annexed, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the chair supported on its transporting-wheels and provided with a table; Fig. 2, a perspective View showing the wheels and table removed and the bookrest or writing-board removed Fig. 3, a per.- spective view of the same, taken from the rear; Fig. 4:, a perspective View showing the chair converted into a cot; Fig. 5, a perspective view showing the cot adjusted low down or close to the floor, this being desired in some cases of sickness; and Fig. 6, a detail. perspective of the table.

Referring to the drawings by letters, a designates the side bars of the seat-frame, which are extended upward and backward at their rear ends and formed into the handles 11, whose upper ends are connected by a crossbar I) and are braced to the side bars aby the metallic straps 11 The four supportinglegs 0 are each pivotally connected to the side bars by bolts 0'. The leg-rest consists of side bars (Z, pivoted on the forward pair of bolts 0 and connected at their lower ends by a cross-bar cl. Connected to the leg-rest at each side thereof is a rod d this rod being connected to the leg-rest pivotally by a clampbolt d and being extended backward and downward and clamped to the outer side of the adjacent forward leg by another clampbolt (1 the rod being provided with a series of holes to render it adjustable and permit the desired inclination to be given to the legrest.

Each pair of legs a is connected and braced bythe crossed braces e, and the side bars a are braced and rigidly connected by the bows e.

The back-rest frame f is pivoted at its lower end upon the rear pair of bolts 0 and is supported by a pair of rodsf, pivoted to it above its middle and extended back and clamped f the rod f and the handles 1) being provided with a series of holes for adjustment purposes, enabling the back to be given the desired inclination. The side bars of the back-frame are connected by the bowed brace f and the side bars of the leg-rest are also connected by bowed brace f The side bars of the seat-frame and le frame and back-frame are connected by a continuous piece of suitable fabric running the. entire length from the head-rest of the back-frame to the lower end of the leg-rest.

to the handles 6 by means of the clamp-bolts The canvas on the seat-frame is provided with'an opening g, as shown in Fig. 5, which is covered by a removable flap 9, so that the occupant may use the commode without arising.

The foot rest or board 71. is pivotally connected to a transverse bar 71-, extending across beneath the leg-frame at its lower end and having its ends extended to form convenient handles for use in lifting the chair from place to place. The foot-rest is supported by rods 7Z2, one being pivotally connected at each end of the foot-rest and extended back and connected to the adjacent clamp-bolt (1 each clamp-bolt being made thereby to clamp both the rods k and cl to the leg-frame.

On each of the forward legs is journaled a small removable wheel i, a stub axle and thumb-nut being used to secure the wheel to the leg. A pair of large wheels j are mounted in rear of the chair upon an axle j, supported 8 5 at the rear ends of a pair of arms j these arms being downward-turned extensions of side rods 75. The side rods 75 respectively connect the legs 01": each side rigidly together, but for the purposes of adjustment these rods are provided with a series of perforations where they intersect the legs, clamp-bolts 7a being used to detachably connect the legs to the bar. The axle j is readily removable, so that the wheels thereon may be removed when it is desired to convert the wheelchair into a stationary chair. Olamped to the end of each extension 7' is a rod 15 the clamping-nut k on the end of the axle being employed for that purpose. These rods extend forward and are respectively clamped to the rear. legs, being provided with a series of holes where they intersect the leg for the purpose of adjustment. To brace each extension 3' is a rod or strap 1, which extends from the end of the extension forward and is fastened rigidly to the main part 70 at apoint preferably in front of the rear legs, this strap where it connects with the end of the extension being bent up and fastened to the rear side thereof to form the journal of the axle j Swung under the seat is a shelf on for the support of a commode or other vessel, this shelf being supported by hangers m, each of which consists of a springwire bent into a substantially U -shaped form, its free arms being bent laterally at their upper ends and sprung into eyes m carried by the bars 70. The shelf and hangers may be readily removed by springing the arms of the hangers out of the eyes m The arm-rests each consist of a horizontal bar or rod 71 and a vertical rod 02', the latter clamped at its lower end to the side bar A: by clamp-screw n and pivotally'connected at its upper end to the rod n, and being confined to the outer side of the seat-frame by a keeper n open at its rear side. Each rod n extends back to the handle I), just in rear of it, and is connected thereto by the adjacent clamp-bolt f Secured on each of the bars or is an armpiece n, and hinged to one of these arm-pieces is a book-support or writing-board n", which is adapted to fold down, as shown in Fig. 1, in the usual manner.

As shown in Fig. 1, a small table 0 may be fastened across the forward ends of the armpieces, this table being detachably secured to the arms by means of the rearwardly-extending fiat springs 0, each spring being provided with a lateral pin adapted to enter a suitable recess in the outer edge of the adjacent armpiece 11 As will be seen in Fig. 4, to convert the chair into a cot or bed it is simply necessary to let down the back-frame through or between the handles and clamp it at the desired point by the clamp-bolts f and elevate the leg-rest and hold it at the desired point by supporting-rods (1 If desired, the foot-rest may be turned under the leg-rest, as shown, the rods 77. being of course detached from the bolts d to permit the footboard to swing around, the rods 71 being again clamped on bolts .61 when the foot-rest is swung under.

The arm-rests are detached for convenience. If desired, the transporting-wheels may be secured in place to permit the cot to be readily moved about.

the floor, as shown in Fig. 5, the front pair of legs are swung forward and upward and are held in that position by the bars (1 the adj ustment at the clamping-bolt d being of course changed and the rear ends of said bars being permitted to rest upon the floor and serve as supports, the front legs being thereby held aloof from the floor. The clamp-bolts 7a are also loosened, and the rod is detached from the rear legs, thereby permitting the legs to swing on the bolts 70' as pivots and let the rear of the cot down until the ends of armsj rest upon thefloor. \Vhen the cot is thus lowered to the desired position, it is held by the rods 70, which are clamped against the legs by the bolts 70 It will thus be seen that besides the rear legs proper the cot is also supported upon the bars d and 'arms 7' If desired, the shelf m and its hangers may be removed, as shown. It will thus be seen that I provide an invalid-chair having unusual and eminently advantageous features of construction, rendering it of great value'in the sickroom and the hospital.

An advantage of the rearward-extending arms 3' is that when the wheels are removed they will serve to assist in carrying the chair up and down stairs. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the chair may be brought up or down, step by step, the ends of the arms 9' serving as supports by resting on the step next above the one on which the rear legs rest. The person will grasp the chair at each end, the one in front using the extensions of the rod h and the one in the rear using the handle-bar b. In this way the invalid may be carefully and quietly carried up or down the stairway.

Having thus fully described my invention,-

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an invalid-chair, the combination of a seat-frame and supporting-legs, a back-rest and handles, removable wheels attached to the front legs, a pair of arms projecting rearward from the rear legs, and a pair of wheels removably supported on said arms, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In an invalid-chair the combination of a seat-frame and supporting-legs, a leg-rest, aback-rest, operating-handles,wheels carried by the front legs and removable therefrom, and bars connecting the legs on each side 4 and extending rearward and downward, and

a pair of removable wheels supported on the ends of the extensions, substantially as described.

3. In aninvalid-chair, the combination of a seat-frame and legs pivoted thereto, a legrest swung from the seat-frame and adapted to be raised to a position approximately level therewith, a pair of handles attached to the frame and a back-frame swung from the seat- 3 frame and adjustably connected to the handles, and a fabric stretched over the back- 1 frame, seat-frame and leg-rest, substantially When 1t 1s desired to drop the cot to near as described.

4. In a convertible invalid-chair, the combination of a seat-frame, legs secured thereto, a leg-rest swung from the front edge of the seat-frame and carrying an adjustable footrest at its free end, adjustable bars 71 and d connecting the foot-rest to the leg-rest and the leg-rest to the supporting-legs, a backrest pivoted to the rear end of the seat-frame, a pair of handlesprojecting upward from the rear end of the seat-frame, between which an adjustable leg-rest, rods d connecting the leg-rest to the front legs and projecting rearward therefrom, said rods being connected detachably and adjnstably to the legs, side bars is connecting the legs on each side and extending rearward and downward, said side bars and rods (1 serving as supporting-legs when the chair is converted into a low-down cot, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE A. GRANDALL.

Vitnesses:

NOAH TEBBETTS,

WM. H. CUNNINGHAM. 

